Practicum Log
Practicum Journal
July 18
9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
7 Hours
Helped set up Makerspace/Media Center
I wanted to be able to devote some time to the start of my practicum, so I came into school before the start of the school year. Jodi was setting up the Learning Commons and invited her ed associate, Chris James, and me to join her. She had gotten a ton of material and equipment for the makerspace she planned to create from the district grant at the end of the year. We went to the upstairs lounge where all the items were and began to go through them. The amount of resources she had for students to create was unbelievable. In addition to art and craft supplies, she got a Cricut maker, Silhouette machine, sewing machine, tee-shirt press, 3D printer, 3D pens, STEM supplies, and other items that would allow students to discover and create. We spent time opening everything up and then taking it down to the Learning Commons, where Jodi decided where she wanted it all to go. While she was doing that, I worked on setting up the craft section of the Makerspace. This involved organizing things and setting out examples. I also got to work on creating a Pinterest page full of makerspace activities and ideas.
August 15
9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
30 minutes
Started to learn how to catalog books
Jodi had gotten in multiple orders of books for the start of the school year, so we spent this session with her going over Title Wave, the cataloguing program that our district uses. She showed me the basic components of it, the ways she uses it, and discussed both what is good about it and what is bad about it. While we didn’t get into how to actually catalogue, this session allowed me to get a glimpse at what goes on behind the scenes in order to get a book on the shelf. I have to admit that I was surprised at how much work goes into just preparing a book for circulation.
August 21
3:00-4:30
90 minutes
Setting up Writing Area in the Media Center
Jodi wanted to utilize my writing and publishing skills during my practicum, so the first task she gave me was to set up a Creative Writing Center in the Learning Commons. We found a section in the Learning Commons that needed a “face lift” and decided that would be where the Writing Center would be. It was a great area. There are a long counter probably about twenty feet long with a desk across it. Behind were wall to ceiling windows and then an area of bookshelves and a magazine rack that I would use for writing resources. We liked the idea of having this near the entry of the Learning Commons so that when students came in, they could access it easily and it would catch their eye. We also wanted to give them enough room to feel like there was a specific area that they could call their own. One of my favorite parts of this area was that there was a door that went outside. We had labeled it the Reading Oasis and Jodi had set up some picnic tables and chairs and planted flowers. Students were able to go outside to work. It was the perfect spot for students’ creative juices to start flowing!
September 5
3:00-4:00
60 minutes
Setting up Writing Area in the Media Center
September 6
3:00-4:30
60 minutes
Setting up Writing Area in the Media Center
September 17
3:30-4:30
60 minutes
Creating resources for the Writing Area in Media Center
September 18
3:00-4:15
75 minutes
Creating resources for the Writing Area in Media Center
September 22
11:30-1:30
2 Hours
Creating resources for the Writing Area in Media Center
September 23
9:15-11:00
1 hour and 45 minutes
Creating resources for the Writing Area in Media Center
September 23
3:00-5:00
2 Hours
Creating resources for the Writing Area in Media Center
The following two weeks were spent creating the Writing Center in the Learning Commons. It was a bigger undertaking than I had anticipated. First, I wanted to talk with students to find out exactly what resources they would want. Then, I needed to see what resources I had and what I would need to get or create. I took multiple pictures and spent a bit of time in the space envisioning how I wanted it to look. I wanted a place students felt comfortable in if they wanted to hang out and write, I wanted materials accessible so students could take what they needed and didn’t need instructions (something that could be self-served), and I wanted to make it visually inspiring.
The first area I worked on was folders full of writing resources. These were handouts I had used in the past in writing workshops, resources that I used with my own writing, brainstorming activities, sheets for character and plot development, revision and publishing tools, and advice from other authors. I made ten copies of each of the handouts and put them in folders. I included instructions on the front of each folder for the resources inside each. These were taped on so students could look at the different options and select what they wanted. Jodi had an old magazine rack that held thirty folders. I was able to put one in each slot. Students could browse the folders and select the handouts that they wanted. Because the instructions were on the front, they didn’t need help or guidance. I figured creating resources like this might encourage the shyer kids to come and take what they needed.
Against the wall was a bookshelf. It was lower to the ground, but it stretched across a large part of the wall and had 25-30 cubbies in it. I used this for writing resources that were more involved than a handout. There were binders, notebooks, journals, index cards, and post-its available for the students’ taking. There were markers, crayons, pens, pencils, and giant sheets of paper for brainstorming. I added books there were related to the writing process and a “tree” with journal prompts clipped to it like leaves. Students could pick a prompt to write about. I also had a giant fishbowl with ideas in it for those students who needed some help getting started. The cubbies also had writing activities that students could select and do. Each of these bins had a stack of neon green sheets of paper in them. The sheets had the instructions for whatever activity was in the cubby. Students could take a copy to understand how to use the resource.
On the windows, I printed quotes about writing said by famous authors. I covered the window with 40-50 of these. The lights still came through, but it also created a wall of writing advice. I decorated the other parts of the area with paper chains made out of book pages and Jodi and set up a coffee and tea station for writing fuel. There were giant piles along the windows for students to sit on and seats along the desk portion.
As a writer myself, I tried to envision the type of space I would have wanted. I wanted it to be low pressure and a play you can grab resources with no questions asked. Many students are quiet and keep to themselves, so I didn’t want them to feel intimidated in anyway. Hopefully this area will only grow bigger and bigger as more students discover and use it!
September 24
9:15-11:15
2 Hours
Finished the Writing Area/began to work on knitting for MakersSpace
I finished the writing space and invited some of my students who like to write to explore the space. I showed them all the different resources and encouraged them to take whatever they needed. The general vibe seemed pretty excited, and I encouraged them to invite their friends to come and check the space out too. Jodi and I talked about having some kind of grand opening celebration in the future and we brainstormed ideas such as having an author Skype chat, party (food always brings students in), an art project (like decorating journals with washi tape), and doing a week long event during ICE (which is my school’s studio hall). We didn’t settle on anything yet, but let our ideas simmer.
I also began to work on a makerspace project that I hope to involve my students in. I’m an avid knitter and wanted to share my love with my staff and students. Knitting is very meditative and a way to relax. I put up a post on a knitters group that I belong to on Facebook asking for donations of old knitting needles because my students wanted to learn to do service projects (I shared with my students that my mom and I had made a Welcome Blanket for a refugee family and hats to donate to preemies and homeless people). The response I got was incredible. I had many people contact me about not only donating needles but yarn too. I received over 200 pairs of needles and around 50 skeins of yarn. The generosity of others is astounding and I’m so thankful for the supplies we got. I spent a portion of my practicum time today separating and sorting everything so we can hopefully start a knitting group in the near future.
September 25
3:00-4:00
1 Hour
Grant planning
One of the things Jodi and I knew we wanted to do was write a grant while I was doing my practicum. We wrote a Jennings grant in the past and was awarded it. We were able to implement a really great program called Graffiti Books that started in our high school and then spread to the other schools, the staff, community and public library. We hoped to do something else that would impact a large part of the school.
I spent today researching different kinds of grants, their timelines, and rules and restrictions. I brainstormed ideas for what we could write a grant for and targeted some of the organizations that offered grants geared toward those ideas.
September 26
3:30-4:30
1 Hour
Makerspace Designing (friendship bracelets)
24 Hours
Another thing Jodi and I wanted to do with my practicum hours was to get the Makerspace up and going. We had so many great resources, but didn’t know how to use everything. I surveyed the different items that we had and selected friendship bracelets as our first event. I knew that these were very popular right now with my students, it was something I could teach easily, and something my students could pick up on fast. Jodi and I brainstormed with another student how to get students to make bracelets in the Makerspace. I thought the time during ICE would be a great time to do it, but we still didn’t know how to get students to come and participate (a roadblock that Jodi told me she’s been experiencing in the last few years). We asked a student who was in the Learning Commons what he thought would get people to come and he said “food.” In fact, he was very firm that food was one of the only things that would bring people to the Learning Commons. So Craft & Snack was born!
October 1
3:00-3:30
8:30-9:00
1 Hour
Handout/Flyer for Craft & Snack
I spent this time planning the Craft & Snack program and creating the flyer. I knew I wanted to do friendship bracelets first, so I tried to find designs that would catch the interest of the students. I wanted the flyer to promote the event as something fun, social, and low key. Craft & Snack takes place during ICE in the Learning Commons and during that time, only 40 students are allowed in because it gets too crowded. The students in the school really love the area Jodi has created in the Learning Commons, so there is always a mad scramble to get there and be one of the 40 people. As a way to encourage students to come and start to explore the makerspace items, I created tickets that would get them into the Learning Commons even if there were 40 people already. I didn’t want them to have to worry about getting there in time. As a way to catch their eye and promote some of the makerspace activities, I used unicorn stamps and embossed them on the tickets as a way to again express the fun attitude of the event.
October 2
7:00-7:30
30 minutes
Flyer for Craft & Snack
I spent the morning before school hanging flyers for Craft & Snack. I hung them all over the school adding more to the area in front of the Learning Commons and the art wing. I also put one inside each of the bathroom stalls, because I find that’s one of the best places to hang things (given the captive audience and all!). I also shared it on the school's Facebook page and the email blast that goes out to everyone each week.
October 2
3:00 - 4:30
90 minutes
Possible Jennings Grant
I continued to work with Jodi brainstorming possible grants that we could write. There was a science grant that was shared with the school that we thought might be something to aim from. Jodi suggested writing a grant to have the students design wind powered items for the Reading Oasis and we looked up some ideas for that. We also really liked the idea of coding a suit that can light up. We liked the idea of some kind of STEM fashion show and fell down a rabbit hole of research, items, and designs to make something like this happen.
October 3
3:00-4:30
90 minutes
Makerspace Work
October 4
3:00-5:00
2 Hours
Makerspace Work
October 7
10:15:-11:15
3:00-4:30
2 ½ hours
Makerspace Work (Craft & Snack, Cricut, Planning activities)
These last few days of my practicum time was spent working on exploring/building/discovering how to do things in the makerspace. I specifically focused on the Cricut Machine, which Jodi got a brand new one with all the bells and whistles. She got a subscription to use their fonts and images and bought a starter pack that contained material to make a variety of different items. The problem was, none of us had used it before. I sat down with the task of teaching myself how to do it. I watched tons of YouTube videos, attempted and failed at a bunch of different things, until I figured it out. I was able to make cut out vinyl clings, which we stuck to the wall of the fishbowl area in the Learning Commons. There were three students who were also interested in learning how to use the Cricut, so I gave them a quick overview, directed them to YouTube videos, gave them all the supplies and let them start creating. Part of the makerspace philosophy is that the students create and explore themselves. I didn’t want to give them too much instruction and sure enough, my students could do everything I could do and then some (they were making stickers for their laptop like crazy) in half the time it took me. It was a true working makerspace to see them discover and create items that interested them. I stepped aside and let them take over. We talked about making some kind of badge to identify them as the experts so they could instruct and help other students who might want to make something.
October 9
9:30-11:15
1 45 min
Learned about ordering books, Craft & Snack
Today Jodi went over how she determines what books to have in the library and how to order them. She showed me a few different ways (review sites, review publications, reading lists, student recommendations, Goodreads…) and the different sites that she uses to order. She will order from Amazon if there is a student who wants a book quickly but otherwise, she purchases from Folliett, because they will catalogue the books for her. She had me get onto their site and select books for a PO that she had for $1000. I used the resources she gave me to select the books and then I checked them against our school’s catalogue to make sure we didn’t have any of the books. She planned to put the order in and I would catalogue them when they come in. That way I will see the book purchase process from start to finish. I had a ton of fun ordering the books, but now I have a TBR list that is pretty much a mile long! There are so many great books and many I wouldn’t have known about if I hadn’t explored the resources Jodi gave me.
October 14
9:30 - 11:15
3:00-5:00
2hours and 45 minutes
Craft & Snack, Ordering books
October 15
10:30-11:00
30 Minutes
Craft & Snack
Craft & Snack has been a huge success. I started with 5-6 kids but now I have around 12-15 coming every time. Some of them have finished multiple bracelets and others are teaching the new students who show up how to do it. We’ve had to buy more floss and a case to store it in. I’ve had a few hiccups such as how to work with all the students in the short amount of time that we’ve had, making sure everyone is able to check in with me and get what they need, and ways to instruct them. Some students need one on one attention to me while others work best with a worksheet that takes them through the steps. The plan was to have students do this twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, but most of the kids are coming every single day, which is fine by me. I love the idea of providing a place for a group of kids to go and relax and have fun. A lot of what I’ve been trying to do during my practicum time is adding and implement things that I would have loved to have had when I was a teenager and the students are doing a great job of letting me know what they are interested in.
October 16
9:30-11:00
90 Minutes
Budget/Title Wave
Today Jodi went over the budget. She showed me the different parts of it and how she goes about ordering books. She talked about some roadblocks that come up along the way and how to keep everything organized. She gave me a copy of the budget reports for the year so far and what she submitted at the end of last year when our principal had everyone turn in their budgets for the new year. She also talked to me about the fundraising her students do and what it allows them to purchase for the learning commons.
We had some extra time, so Jodi went over Title Wave with me again and how to catalogue books. It’s very slow going for me, but I think if I keep practicing, I’ll remember all of the steps.
October 17
10:40-11:10
30 Minutes
Craft & Snack
In order to keep the students interested and coming back to Craft & Snack, I added a new craft ...Shrinky Dinks! I made posters for the school and hung them alongside the other ones. The friendship bracelets will still be there, but now something new is being introduced. I like the idea of continuing to grow the crafts but allowing students to do any of them. Shrinky Dinks are a great way for students to be creative and design items based off of their personalities. The students were very excited to start this craft but there were a few who continued to work on bracelets.
October 18
10:40-11:10
3:00-4:15
1 Hour and 45 minutes
Craft & Snack
Jennings Grant Work
Jodi and I finally settled on a grant that we will work on. We want to create The Common Bond Project, which will create an inclusive space in the Learning Commons for all students. Currently, the students with mental and physical handicaps don’t use the Learning Commons. We want to change that and make it a space everyone feels like they can come to and wants to come to. We contacted the head teacher of these students and then began to brainstorm what we would need in this space. We determined that we’d need books that are leveled to these students, shelves that are low and easy to reach, sensory friendly kits, and a few makerspace items that these students could use (specifically a button making machine to make buttons of the books they read and share them with each other). We thought that a Jennings Grant would be a good one to apply for and downloaded the instructions and items we would need.
October 20
7:00-8:00
1 Hour
Creating new posters for Learning Commons
Because the makerspace/Craft & Snack has been such a successful, Jodi and I decided to open up the Learning Commons for a Saturday. We wanted students to be able to come and work on projects without the limited time restriction that we have during the school day. We will open it for four hours (10:00-2:00) and they could use anything in the Learning Commons. We also planned to get pizza, since we know that food brings students. I spent the rest of the time making a poster advertising this event.
October 21
10:25-11:10
3:15-4:15
1 hour and 45 minutes
Craft & Snack
Printing/Distributing Posters
Jennings Grant Work
Today was a busy day. I did a little bit of everything! I started to teach the kids how to do Shrinky Dinks during Snack & Craft. I worked on distributing the posters for our Saturday hours all over the school. printed almost double the amount of flyers and put one in each of my fellow staff members’ mailboxes. We then sent out an email asking them to share these with their students as a way to get more students to come in. Jodi and I continued to brainstorm and work on a rough copy of the Jennings Grant. We decided that we wanted to create some activities that the kids could do that allows them to interact with the other students. We loved the idea of them creating buttons for the books that they read. We thought we could create a template for them to draw them and then we’d make colored copies. That way they’ll get 3-5 of the same button and could keep one for themselves and then pass the rest out to other students as a way to promote reading and have some socialization with their peers.
October 22
10:10-11:10
1 Hour
Jennings Grant/Craft & Snack
45.5 Hours
When Jodi and I worked on the grant application today, we decided we wanted to have the students make something at the start to get familiar with the Learning Commons and start to feel as if the space is theirs too. We thought it would be fun for them to decorate canvas bags. These bags could then be used to transport their books to and from the Learning Commons and a place for them to pin the buttons that they create onto. We wrote in enough bags into the grant that their typical peers could also create their own canvas bag too. We hoped that would be a way to promote interaction and socialization among everyone.
October 23
9:30-11:15
3:00-4:15
3 Hours
Discussed Weeding
Craft & Snack
Jenning Grant
Writing Club
Organizing Materials
Today was a super busy day! I first met with Jodi and she talked about weeding with me. She discussed why she did it, showed me the guidelines that she uses when selecting material to weed, and then instructed me on what the school policy is when removing books from the library. She had just done a big book reading at the end of last year, so she didn’t have anything concrete to show me, but I was able to get a good idea about what it involves.
Craft & Snack is continuing to grow. Some days we have over twenty students! They all come down, sit with friends, and get to work. I’m loving the relaxed atmosphere it creates and the fact that we’re bringing some many new students into the Learning Commons (and they are bringing their friends!).
I run a writing group during the school year and worked on integrating this group into the Learning Commons to continue to make it a place for creativity and discovery. I took the group on a tour of the Writing Center and brainstormed some of the writing that they were doing.
With the extra time that I had at the end of the day, I worked on organizing some of the makerspace items, which were starting to get a little disorganized with all their use. I’m not complaining, though, I love that students are starting to use the materials. Jodi and I brainstormed more ways we can get the students into the Learning Commons and using everything it offers.
October 24
10:40-11:10
3:00-4:30
2 Hours
Snack & Craft
Grant/Brainstorming
October 26
8:30-3:30
7 Hours
Saturday Hours/Grant Writing/Cataloguing
October 28
10:40-11:10
3:00-4:30
2 Hours
Craft & Snack
Jennings Grant
These last few days have been spent continuing to work with my Craft & Snack group (we cooked some of the Shrinky Dinks!), working on the Jennings grant (it’s so detailed and there’s a ton of information), and cataloguing books. I’m still pretty slow with the cataloguing, but I’m getting better at it. I feel like I don’t refer to the cheat sheet I created as much, but I do worry about messing something up. Jodi keeps assuring me that it’s very hard to mess something up because the program stops you at every step if you are leaving out information. I know I’ve said it before, but it really does amaze me to see how much work is involved in getting a book ready to go onto the shelves. A library is a very very organized system!
October 29
9:30-10:15
10:40-11:10
3:00-4:45
3 Hours
Craft & Snack
Cataloging Books
Saturday Hours Poster
Conference/Brainstorming with Scott
The main focus of today was our meeting with our vice principal, Scott. The school has a grant that provides supplies and resources for programming outside of the school day. There is even transportation available for students who want to stay after and don’t have a ride home. Jodi and I wanted to meet with Scott so we could talk about our idea of the book club with him. We figured discussing it in person would allow us to share our ideas better and answer any of his questions. The meeting went well and he was on board with the idea of both the book club and the author Skype afterwards. He also liked the idea of continuing the book club into next semester if it goes well and even offering it to the community. We talked about how hard it is to get anyone to come back to the school in the evening and jokingly came up with the idea of having a book club at halftime during sporting events, since that’s one of the consistent things people show up for. It started as a joke, but sparked an idea for a potential book club with the book Carry On by Lisa Fenn. Scott should know by now that if you give Jodi and I an idea, we’re going to chase after it and develop it. The spark for this book club has now been planted!
October 30
10:30-11:15
3:00-4:00
1 hour and 45 minutes
Grant, Craft & Snack, Book Club
One of the big things that I worked on today was putting the final touches on the Jennings grant. We read it all over and made sure we had all the elements. Jodi hit the button to submit and we cheered. I’m excited about the possibility of this grant and fingers crossed we get it. As soon as we finished, we instantly went to pour next idea, which involved planning for our book club. I wrote a letter that will go home to the students who will participate in the club that included all the details. Jodi and I can’t wait to get the books and start advertising the club. We’re hoping we get a good group of students to be a part of it, but realistically, I also know how hard it is to hook students into staying after school.
October 31
9:30-11:15
3:00-4:00
2 hours and 45 minutes
Book Club, Craft & Snack
Cataloguing Books
68 Hours
Today I worked on cataloguing books that weren’t Manga. This means that I had to dive a little deeper into the books and their info to determine where it should be shelved. There were a few decisions I had to make. First, I needed to figure out how to categorize the book (things like is it a sports book, popular fiction, historical fiction..). The second thing I needed to determine was if I needed to code the back with any circles. Jodi has a system of colored circles that is put on the back of the book to help her pull topics for specific things (reading collections, book months…). For example, she has stickers for books that involve social issues, minorities, and LGBTQ characters. Some of the books may get multiple stickers. In order to decide about the stickers, I will do things like read the jacket copy, the cataloguing topics, and book reviews.
November 4
10:30-11:15
3:00-4:15
2 Hours
Craft & Snack
Catalogued Books
During Craft & Snack today I had a student come up to me and tell me that my friendship making sessions inspired her. She told me about how she went to Jo Ann Fabrics the night before and got a ton of floss to make more bracelets. She showed me a key chain she made that also used beads, so Jodi and I talked about getting some of those to add to the Makerspace. I love that some of the stuff that we’re teaching the kids in the Makerspace is being transferred to their own lives as they investigate it further.
After school today I focused on cataloguing more books. I feel as if I’m finally getting into the groove of cataloguing. I no longer need the “cheat sheet” with all of the steps on it, and I was moving pretty quickly through the stack of books. I had one student who stopped by and asked how it was going, because she said she was excited to read some of the new manga books. I loved to see her enthusiasm for reading, and that’s one of the things I really like about Jodi is that she listens to what the students want and puts those books almost instantly into their hands. She captures that desire to read before it’s lost.
November 5
10:30-11:15
45 minutes
Craft & Snack
Students are finishing their projects and getting ready to cook their items. We began to talk about the next craft (fuse beads!) and all the cool stuff we can do with them. I began to search for images and ideas and fun things the kids can do with them. As the kids were working, I continued to organize some of the makerspace items to make sure that everything runs smoothly. The floss that was used for the bracelets was a tangled mess, so I’m slowly putting each of them on spools so that I can store them in a box. It’s slow going, but it’s going to be very helpful once I get it done.
November 6
8:45 - 11:15
2:15-4:00
4.25 hours
Craft & Snack, new craft poster, observing in the middle school, cataloguing
The first thing I did today was go to the middle school library to see how it was structured, the design and configuration of it, and how the students interacted within it. I was lucky enough to see the Scholastic Book Fair going on and two classes come down to check out books. While I was there, I talked extensively with the education associate who runs the library. She went into detail about how the Scholastic Book Fairs work (one of my favorite events as a kid!) and the problems that she runs into with it. Specifically, she talked about how they send so much “stuff” now. Toys, pens, posters, items that aren’t book related. She said kids will buy this instead of the books or take them. She’s had trouble with students stealing these small items, so she keeps them all behind her desk now. As a parent myself, I wouldn’t be happy if I sent my child with money for books and he came back with a bunch of toys. She said they are able to return items, so she’ll often see that stuff come back the next day. She talked about the ways kids can buy books now, and I loved the online “wallet” option. Parents put money into an account, kids buy items, and any change that is left is returned to the parents. It seems like a great way to make sure the money makes it to the bookfair and the change makes it back home.
Another thing we talked about was what the kids were reading. She said that graphic novels are huge and almost impossible to keep on the shelves. She’s had to get 5+ copies of some of the books because all the kids want to read them. She also talked about how rough the kids are on the books and how she stresses that they can’t put them in their lockers because they get so beat up. She said that there are still a large amount of students who read and are excited about the time going down to the library. Yay!
I also worked on a poster for the new craft next week….fuse beads! Our Craft & Snack program is still a huge hit with 10-12 kids attending every day. They seemed to be excited for the new craft, and I let them know the old ones will be there too. We will just be adding to the fun things that they can do.
I ended the day by cataloguing books. We had gotten our order in from Folietts, so I learned how to catalogue those. That’s the way to do it! There are only a few steps and they are ready for the shelf. Jodi said she tries to get those as often as possible, but the only downside is that they take awhile to come in. For the ease of cataloguing them, I’m happy to wait!
November 7
10:30-11:15
3:00-4:45
2 hours and 30 minutes
Craft & Snack, cataloguing, shelving
Today I had a ton of students attend Craft & Snack. Many of them were ready for me to cook their Shrinky Dinks, so we bagged them and they put their names on them. I have to admit that I’m a little nervous about cooking them because some of my students spend so much time working on them. Hopefully everything turns out great! My assistant principal came in and couldn’t believe how many kids were there working. I told him that we usually have more! Some of the kids were asking about Saturday hours and when the next one was going to be. There was even one student disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to miss the next one. I love that they’re excited to spend time in the Learning Commons.
I spent more time cataloguing, and then I entered them into Excel sheets based on topics. Jodi uses them when she wants to pull books for certain things. I shelved all of them and also shelved a bunch of books that were returned today. It brought me back to my days as a library page at Fairview Park Library! I like how Jodi uses the different colored stickers on the spines, it made it so easy to shelve them. It took me a few books to get back into the swing of things, but then I was putting them back pretty fast. Shelving is just another thing that a Media Specialist has to do. It’s pretty incredible to think about the work load that goes into this job and how most people have no idea.
November 8
9:15-11:15
2 Hours
Craft & Snack, Makerspace, Cataloguing
Today I started by setting up a bunch of Makerspace/Craft & Snack stuff. I had cooked everything the night before, so I wanted it all set up so the students could make pins, charms, and key chains. They were so excited when they came in and saw their shrinky dinks shrunk down and the examples I had for things they could make. They got to work making different things and one girl made a charm for her phone case. It was super cute and most of the other kids decided they wanted to do the same. I had one student that asked if she could take some of the paper home to make it at home. I gave her two pieces and a box of colored pencils and she was so excited. Jodi and I have talked about creating Makers packs that they can take home, so that was a good example of someone who would benefit from that. We like the idea of taking portable projects home to do there too.
I also worked on cataloguing more books. Today I learned how to add books that already have a copy in the system. It was a bit confusing at first, but I caught on pretty quickly. I felt like with a little practice each time, it would be pretty easy. I commented yet again to Jodi about how much she does behind the scenes that no one notices. It’s crazy to me to think that schools believe they can function without Media Specialists.
November 11
10:45-11:15
2:45-3:45
1 Hours and 30 Minutes
Craft & Snack (new craft!) and organizing
Today we started a new craft for Craft & Snack….fuse beads! I had over twenty kids show up, and I have to admit that it was a bit of chaos because I didn’t get down to the Learning Commons with enough time to set it all up. However, the kids were really engaged and having fun with it. Most were still working at the end today, so we will continue to do it. I have a few students still working on Shrinky Dinks, but not that many. I’d really like to get them to continue to work on the crafts as I teach them to them, but most of the kids are moving from one to the next. Perhaps later in the year they’ll come back and do some old ones. I think that the Shrinky Dinks and fuse beads have been so popular are because they allow the students to express their creativity. They can make designs that relate and are personal to them. I like seeing the different items that each student creates; it gives me a little glimpse into their interests. Everything in that makerspace craft area is super messy right now, so I spent time after school cleaning and organizing it all.
November 12
10:30-11:15
2:45 - 4:00
2 Hours
Craft & Snack, Cataloguing
Today we had tables and tables of crafters...yay! I told them that I was nearing the end of my library practicum hours, but I wanted to keep doing this if they were interested. I got a resounding “yes” from everyone. We did learn that fuse beads are very tricky and even a little bump can send them flying. Ugh! I spent some time after school fixing a few of them and during Craft & Snack, we ironed a couple. They turned out really cute, but I have to say that being responsible for the crafting work someone does is super stressful. I’m nervous I’m going to mess something up.
I also worked after school cataloguing a stack of magna books. There are a few students who are eager for them to go out onto the shelves. Jodi was absent today, but I was able to do all the cataloguing myself without any questions. I think I have the hang of it! Let’s see if it sticks in the coming months. I did talk to Jodi about continuing to work in the Learning Commons. I love it there and am sad that my practicum is almost over.
November 15
10:40 - 11:10
30 minutes
Craft & Snack
Today we had a large group of kids ready to craft. They wanted to know where I had been because we closed the Learning Commons down on Wednesday so everyone could go watch a student sign his letter of intent to wrestle at Stanford and then on Thursday I was absent. They were all ready and eager to continue to work on their fuse beads. We ironed a bunch and began to brainstorm new crafts. The contenders at the moment are scrunchies, pot holders with weaving looms, or rainbow loom bracelets.
November 16
9:00-2:30
5.5 Hours
Saturday Hours
Today was another successful Saturday Hours. I really enjoy doing these. We had 10+ kids show up; some of the same kids as last time and some new ones. Many of them came in to continue to work on their fuse beads, while others explored other parts of The Learning Commons and Makerspace. Jodi and I worked on writing two grants. One for podcasting and one for an upcycled garden. We also wrote a pitch for School Library Journal in hopes that we can write an article about about the Graffiti Book project. We love the idea of being able to write some articles about the things that we have done. I can’t believe my practicum is almost over, but the good news is that I’m getting hired on to continue to work with the kids after school and on Saturdays, so I won’t have to step away too much. I also like the idea of opening it up in the summer for students to come and enjoy and Jodi agreed with me. I’m so lucky to have had such a positive experience during my practicum. It makes me even more excited to become a school media specialist!
November 18
10:45-11:15 a.m.
3:00- 4:00 p.m.
1.5 Hours
Craft & Snack
Grant Brainstorming/Flurry of Creativity Work
November 19
10:45 - 11:15 a.m.
30 Minutes
Craft & Snack
November 20
10:30 - 11:15 a.m.
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
1 Hour and 30 minutes
Craft & Snack, Brainstorming, Discussing Overdue Books
These last few days were spent working on Craft & Snack and brainstorming new ideas for grants. Jodi and I like the idea of creating “unplug” bags that students can check out and take home to do activities without a screen. This would be items like what we do at Craft & Snack, baking mixes, board games, cards, and other activities that would encourage students to interact with each other instead of their devices.
Jodi also talked to me about what the school does for Overdue books. The process definitely has pros and cons. While there are some things that make it easy, there are other restrictions that make it harder for the librarian. Our school has a system where overdue book notices are e-mailed home and parents can pay for missing books just by going to their child’s lunch account.
November 21
8:00 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.
6.25 Hours
LGCA Media Specialist Meeting
Today I was lucky enough to take a staff development day and go with Jodi to the LGCA Media Specialist meeting. This happens every other month and media specialists from all over North East Ohio attend and discuss new technologies, share ideas, and brainstorm ways to solve problems in a district. It was really great to see the different views and perspectives of the librarians around here. I told Jodi that it made me happy for what my school does have and the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. My favorite part was when someone posted a problem and the group worked together to solve it. I wish we could do something like this with English teachers in the surrounding area. It’s refreshing to get out to meet and talk with educators all over.
November 22
10:30 - 11:15 a.m.
45 Minutes
Craft & Snack
I reached my 100 hours today during Craft & Snack. It was great to have it happen then, because I was able to look at how much a program I started had grown. I had 15-20 kids there today (in a program that was only supposed to be Monday & Wednesday, but they now come every day) and the kids were doing all different things. Some were doing the friendship bracelets, others fuse beads, a group was using Thanksgiving crafts we had, and the school ordered a toaster oven for the Learning Commons, so we were working on shrinking Shrinky Dinks. I loved that everyone was doing their own thing and creating. I jumped around from student to student and helped those who needed it. This was exactly what I pictured when I started the program, and I plan to continue with it all year long.